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Japanese Movie Exports Earn $60m in 2004

Fuji Sankei Business reported recently that, according to Japanese movie export companies, earnings from sale of foreign distribution, screening and character rights, amount to about US$60.61 million (about 6.34bn yen) in 2004.

This based on a survey by the Motion Pictures Producer Association of Japan. The amount is up from only US$10.51m 1990, but down from a peak of US$80.83m in 2001.

Some recent stand out hits were especially popular in a single regions like Spirited Away, which was hugely successful in France, Takashi Miike's Chakushin Ari, which was popular in Korea and Battle Royal, in England. The 2003 remake of Zatoichi however proved popular worldwide.

The report did not specify what portion of the US$60.61m was due to anime. The amount did not include licensing fees paid for foreign remakes of Japanese films, such as "The Grudge" and "Shall we Dance?"